One of Eric's favorite things is this pimento cheese. It always makes so much that we eat on it for days. We were going to Scott's swimming one day, and the boys all love deviled eggs so I made a Southern appetizer tray complete with Fritoes to dip in the bowl of pimento cheese, Mamie Jane's stuffed jalapenos* and of course the deviled eggs. Not too refined but the tray was emptied almost immediately!! Seriously, Ople Lide (now 87 years young) always made the best pimento cheese ever, and I have been honored to follow her lead! She swears that you have to buy the hunks of cheese and grate them to get the best flavor. I cheated a time or two and bought the bags that were already grated and realized Ople was right. There are other additives like cornstarch in those bags to keep the cheese separate, and it does affect the flavor. Listed below are the cheeses she used, but I almost always add a sharp cheddar and sometime use gouda or gruyere -- actually the more variety the better.
American cheese
Velveeta cheese
Colby cheese
Monterrey jack cheese
Mozarella cheese
Small jar of chopped pimento, drained
Kraft mayonnaise
Black pepper
Grate all the cheeses or as many of them as you want to use. Stir in the pimento and add enough mayo to completely moisten it. It will take several big spoonfuls if you use a lot of cheese. Add black pepper to taste and stir well. It is good stuffed in pickled jalapeno halves* or celery, used as a dip with Fritoes (our favorite) or eaten on bread as a sandwich. YUM!!
*I learned a trick from Mamie Jane (Ople’s neighbor). She brought jalapenos stuffed with Ople's pimento cheese to KK’s Xmas party, and they weren’t hot at all! She cuts a whole pickled jalapeno in half and makes sure to scrape out the veins and of course the seeds. It drastically cut the heat of the jalapeno. They were addictive!!
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